Ken Barlow | Coronation Street Wiki | Fandom powered by Wikia William Roache Kenneth "Ken" Barlow is a long-standing Coronation Street resident, having been born there in 1939 and living there ever since. Ken was the son of postman Frank Barlow and kitchen cleaner Ida . In his youth, he aspired to escape his working class roots and was the first Street resident to go to University. A History and English graduate, he began his professional life as an English teacher at Bessie Street School , remaining at his father's side in Weatherfield after Ida's death in a road accident in 1961 . In 1962 , he married hairdresser Valerie Tatlock . The marriage was mostly happy although Ken's ambitions were at odds with Valerie's contentedness with the lifestyle he wanted to leave behind. In 1965 , Valerie gave birth to twins Peter and Susan . Ken left most of the parenting to Valerie, so when she died in a house accident in 1971 , Ken sent the twins to live with Val's parents in Glasgow .

The 1970s saw Ken struggle to find a new path in life as he left the teaching profession and took on variety of jobs, working as a taxi driver, Community Development Officer and Editor of the free newspaper Weatherfield Recorder during this period. In 1973 he married Janet Reid , but the couple separated after only a few months. Three years later, Ken moved in with Val's uncle Albert Tatlock , deciding to remain in the Street to care for the aging pensioner. The 1980s were a happier time for Ken as he married divorcee Deirdre Langton in 1981 and adopted her daughter Tracy in 1986 . They had a strong bond despite an age difference of more than ten years but Ken's view of a comfortable, stable family life bored Deirdre and in 1983 she had an affair with Mike Baldwin . Ken forgave Deirdre and their marriage was saved but for Ken and Mike this triggered a twenty year feud. Ken and Deirdre split up when Ken had an affair with Wendy Crozier in 1989 .

Ken lost nearly everything from this as Deirdre threw him out and he had to sell the Recorder to pay off No.1 's mortgage, with the house going to Deirdre in the divorce. The 1990s saw Ken rebuild his life; he returned to teaching and had relationships with Alma Sedgewick , Maggie Redman and Denise Osbourne . He and Denise had a son, Daniel , but after a battle for custody Denise took Daniel and left the Street. In 1999 , Ken reconciled with Deirdre, and they got married again in 2005 , however she tragically passed away ten years later while staying with good friend Bev Unwin , leaving Ken widowed for the third time in his life. In late 2016 , Ken suffered a stroke, prompting his grandson Adam and son Daniel to make their way to Weatherfield to be with him. Ken is currently living at No.1 Coronation Street with adopted daughter Tracy , Tracy's daughter Amy , his sons Peter and Daniel , and grandson Adam . Contents Edit Later that year, Ida died in a road accident. The job of supporting Frank largely fell to Ken, as David now lived in London .

Ken turned down a teaching job in Surrey so he didn't have to leave Weatherfield, and told Frank he was turned down so Frank wouldn't feel guilty. Ken started work as Assistant Personnel Officer at Amalgamated Steel , but soon quit as he hated it. Ken was determined to pay for his keep at No.3 and stooped to asking neighbours Jack Walker and Dennis Tanner for a job, though they both turned him down. Embarrassed by his circumstances and tired of Frank accusing him of being idle, Ken decided to seek out a better life in London, but a chat with Christine Hardman at the train station changed his mind. A few days later, he got a teaching job at Bessie Street School. That same year, Valerie Tatlock came to Coronation Street for an extended stay to visit her uncle Albert , who was a neighbour of Ken's. Valerie was a hairdresser and didn't have much in common with Ken but Ken fell for her and persuaded her to go out with him. He was disappointed when she moved to Glasgow . Ken and Valerie Tatlock get married Early in 1962 , Ken's article The Student and the Working Class was published in Survival magazine.

A local newspaper reported the article as an attack on the working class, and Ken's neighbours felt he was attacking them in particular. Ken was determined not to apologise and go about his business as usual, and even accepted the magazine's offer of a follow-up article. He also started work on a novel which similarly reflected his experiences of growing up in a northern backstreet, but Ken abandoned it when it was rejected by his publisher. Ken seized the opportunity to look up Valerie when he went to Scotland with the school, and proposed to her almost right away. They got married at St. Mary' Parish Church on 4th August 1962 and after a honeymoon in London they moved into 9 Coronation Street . 1962-1967: Husband and father Ken kisses Jackie Marsh For a while, Ken did his best to be a devoted husband and father. However temptation beckoned in 1966 when he met newspaper reporter Jackie Marsh . Ken helped her out on an article and found himself attracted to her.

When neighbour Elsie Tanner saw Ken and Jackie kiss, Ken didn't stop her from telling Valerie, deciding he was serious about Jackie, but when they arranged a trip together with Ken telling Valerie he was going to a conference, Ken starting having doubts about committing to a less stable relationship and decided to finish with Jackie. Valerie found out and left Ken, thinking he didn't love her, but again Ken convinced his wife to return. For a year, Ken and Valerie had a more trouble-free marriage. Again it was Ken who caused trouble when in 1967 he went to an anti-Vietnam student demo at the Weatherfield Town Hall . The students were removed by the police and several of them including Ken were charged. When he refused to pay the £5 fine, Ken faced the alternative - seven days in prison. Ken's principles couldn't let him admit he was wrong by paying the fine, although Valerie told him if their positions were reversed she would have paid it. 1968-1971: A new start at the Maisonette Edit In 1968 , Valerie persuaded Ken that No.9 was too small and that they should sell the house and move.

Ken put their names down for one of the new Maisonettes across the street but was disappointed when they were offered No.14 as he wasn't keen. Ken sold No.9 to Len Fairclough for £1,000. The Barlows were shaken shortly after moving into No.14 when Valerie was held hostage in her home by Frank Riley while Ken was away rehearsing a play. Riley was caught by the police, but Ken couldn't believe that Riley, a convicted rapist, hadn't hurt Valerie. Valerie insisted she hadn't been touched and Ken eventually believed her. The following year, Valerie took a full-time job at Alan Howard 's Salon. Ken got interested in buying the Salon, even though he had no experience as a businessman. He asked bookie Dave Smith for a loan, but Dave immediately bought the Salon himself. Ken and Valerie celebrate their new lives in Jamaica In 1970 , Ken was given a grant to visit New York and study technical education. Valerie wasn't happy about it as he would be away for two months.

While he was away, Ray Langton gave Valerie driving lessons, and Ken received an anonymous letter warning him that Valerie was having an affair with Ray (which she wasn't). The letter was written by Emily Nugent . Ken was delighted when he was offered a teaching job in Jamaica . Ken accepted the job despite worrying about the poverty in Jamaica and the Barlows made arrangements to move. The night before the family was to emigrate, the residents of Coronation Street threw them a going-away party, but while Ken and the others waited for Valerie in the Rovers, Valerie suffered a fatal accident, electrocuting herself due to a faulty plug. The accident caused a fire which gutted the maisonettes, but fortunately the twins were not there at the time. 1971-1973: Ken the widower Edit In the aftermath of Valerie's death Ken tried his best to sort out his life and find a way to raise the twins successfully as a single father. Ken rented No.3 , took his old job at the college back, and employed Margaret Lacey as a housekeeper/nanny, but Margaret resigned when Lucille Hewitt told Ken about Margaret's sadistic behaviour towards children when she worked at Lucille's orphanage.

Ken was informed by the twins' schoolteacher that Peter and Susan were becoming moody. Valerie's mother Edith Tatlock was prepared to fight for custody of the twins but was talked out of it by Ken's friends. Ultimately, Ken sent the twins to live with Edith in Glasgow anyway as the pressure of raising them on his own proved too much. Leading the bachelor life again, Ken then began to chase after a new wife to keep him company and be a stepmother to his children. He soon began to go out with hotel receptionist Yvonne Chappell , being Ken's first love interest since Valerie and after they started dating Ken proposed to her. Yvonne however realised Ken was only looking for a replacement for Valerie and turned him down. Later that year, Ken accepted a job as Deputy Head at Bessie Street School. In 1972 , Ken thought one of his pupils, Terry Bates , was being worked too hard by his parents and became friendly with Rita Bates , common-law wife of Terry's father Harry . Even though nothing happened between Ken and Rita, it didn't stop the gossip. In April Ken moved into No.1 with Valerie's Uncle Albert.

Norma Ford started work as assistant in the Corner Shop soon afterwards, and Ken found himself being chased by her. Ken agreed to teach Norma English literature and also helped out Norma's dad Jacko Ford on a burglary charge. He worried that Norma might be too serious about a relationship and told her he couldn't love her. At a staff dinner at headmaster Wilfred Perkins ' house, Ken was smitten with Perkins' daughter Elaine and tried to impress her. After a few dates Ken proposed to Elaine but when she turned him down he took up with Norma on the rebound. Soon afterwards he met up with the now single Rita who was on the rebound from Len Fairclough and they spent the night together. Norma accused Ken of using her and of being selfish. When Albert made Ken feel guilty for putting his love life above his children, Ken stood Rita up and went to Glasgow to see Peter and Susan. 1973-1977: Second marriage Edit Upon his return to Weatherfield Ken started seeing Janet Reid , who worked at the Department of Education and who was a former lover of Len Fairclough. Ken wanted Peter and Susan to move back in with him but Janet didn't want to be a housewife.

Despite this, Ken and Janet eloped during a trip to Scotland. Ken with second wife Janet Ken's second marriage was never a happy one. Janet dashed Ken's hopes of helping him with the kids as she had no interest in being a stepmother. She had her sights set on a £12,000 detached house but Ken lost it when he was late paying a deposit. When Alan and Elsie Howard moved to Newcastle , Ken was offered a fully-furnished No.11 to rent and they accepted it. Janet's refusal to live with the twins, now 9, was a sore point with Ken, but when she gave in in 1974 Ken was shocked to discover that Peter and Susan didn't want to live in Weatherfield. Ken was offered a job as Northern Executive Administrative Assistant by Sir Julius Berlin , boss of the company that owned the Mark Brittain Warehouse in Coronation Street, to be paid £1,000 more than he earned at Bessie St. Janet wanted Ken to take the job but as she expected he talked himself out of it, claiming that he was better as a teacher. Janet was fed up with Ken's ego and walked out on him.

Ken didn't try to get her back as he had done for Valerie when she had left him. Depressed, Ken took the warehouse job after all. Ken didn't have an especially good time at the warehouse. His arrival coincided with a staff dispute, with the workers threatening to strike unless they were granted a union. Shop steward Peggy Barton was the main proponent, and Ken agreed to give the girls a union if Peggy resigned from it. Peggy was interested in Ken and started an affair with him but soon ended it to avoid any complications at work. The job lasted until 1975 , when Ken was made redundant. He found work as a taxi driver, and surprised himself by enjoying it. When Ken picked up Janet and her date Vince Denton in his taxi, he was jealous to see his wife with another man. Later that year, some of Ken's former pupils were caught stealing magazines from The Kabin . Ken felt some responsibility towards them but when he gave them a telling off they let the tyres down on his taxi and wrecked his house, and Kevin Marsh told his dad that Ken had assaulted him. However when Mr. Marsh saw the state of Ken's house he offered him money not to tell the police.

The boys hid in the warehouse storeroom but a discarded cigarette started a fire which gutted the warehouse and killed Edna Gee . Ken played the hero by saving Tricia Hopkins who was trapped in a toilet. Shortly afterwards, Ken got a post as Community Development Officer at the Coronation Street Community Centre . In early 1976 , Wendy Nightingale came to the centre to conduct a survey on reading habits, and Ken let her run a Literary Appreciation class at the centre. Ken and Wendy flirted but Wendy put paid to Ken's attempts to get her into bed. Wendy was married but after a meal at Ken's house she agreed to stay the night. Ken didn't pressure Wendy to leave her husband but wanted to know where he stood. Wendy's husband Roger found out about the affair and hit Ken. Wendy left Roger but it was a few weeks before she agreed to move in with Ken. The Centre committee disapproved of Ken's philandering and told him if he continued to live with a married woman he would lose his job; given his association with the Centre his behaviour reflected on them. Ken was willing to fight the ultimatum, but Roger persuaded Wendy to return to him anyway.

Heartbroken and disappointed in his colleagues on the committee, Ken was intending to quit his job and leave Weatherfield but stayed on when he realised Uncle Albert, now 81, needed someone to care for him. Ken moved out of No.11 and back into No.1 to live with Albert. Ken finds wife Janet has taken an overdose Ken was surprised when Janet turned up at his door in 1977 , having been kicked out by Vince. She tried to persuade Vince to take her back, but when that failed she asked Ken to give their relationship another go. Ken wasn't interested in a reconciliation but let her stay the night. Janet took an overdose during the night and was dead by the time she was taken to hospital in the morning. Ken was questioned by the police but it was quickly determined that Janet's death was suicide. Despite the state Janet had been in, Ken blamed himself for her death. After Janet's death, Ken was involved in a dispute with Vince over the money he and Janet had invested in a building society. Ken took the moral high ground and gave Janet's share to her sister.

1977-1982: Deirdre enters Ken's life Edit When Peter came down for a visit in 1977, Ken fell down a ravine during a walking outing and crushed his leg. Peter got help and Ken found he had torn ligaments. Afterwards, Peter turned down another chance to move to Weatherfield. The following year, Ken took out Uncle Albert's chiropodist Sally Robson , a divorcee and single parent. Neither was interested in a serious relationship but Sally's daughter Philippa wanted a father. The relationship didn't last. In December Ken started teaching illiterate Karen Barnes to read and write. Karen wanted to write to her husband Dave in prison. Dave didn't like Ken teaching Karen, but only because he couldn't read and didn't want Karen to find out. When Dave got out of prison he let himself into No.1 and threatened Ken, accusing him of having an affair with Karen. Ken didn't phone the police as he feared Dave would convince Karen to confess to lie about an affair in court. He stopped Karen's lessons. In 1979 , Ken organised a disco at the centre and invited Deirdre Langton to go with him.

Ken began to pursue her despite Deirdre being over a decade younger than him, not yet divorced from estranged husband Ray Langton and having a two-year-old daughter Tracy . Billy Walker competed with Ken for Deirdre's affections but Deirdre turned down Billy's offer of a new life in Jersey to stay in Weatherfield. Ken and Deirdre's relationship developed rapidly, with Ken taking Deirdre and Tracy for a holiday after only a few months. Len Fairclough, a friend of Ray's, sent a letter to Ray, telling him about Ken and Deirdre, and the result was Ray asking for a divorce citing Ken as co-respondent. Deirdre was angry that Ken now wanted to distance himself from her to protect his reputation and his job, as he wanted to avoid the trouble his relationship with Wendy Nightingale caused him. Eventually however Ken had a change of heart and stayed with Deirdre. In 1980 , Ken was a little perturbed when he realised the now-divorced Deirdre hinted that she was expecting a proposal. This split them up, with Ken citing their age difference as the reason they were unsuited to each other.

In 1981 , Ken asked Deirdre out again, but although Deirdre agreed she stood him up to go out with Dirk van der Stek , a colleague of Ray's. Ken tried to be a gentleman and didn't stand in Deirdre's way as she continued to see Dirk. He was jealous as Deirdre went away to Amsterdam to stay with Dirk. However Dirk was soon out of the way as he moved back to Amsterdam, and Deirdre rekindled her relationship with Ken despite a grumpy Uncle Albert's disapproval. Ken marries Deirdre Langton , 1981 Returning from a conference in Huddersfield , Ken's car broke down on the moors, preventing Ken from getting to a date with Deirdre. In Ken's absence, Deirdre accepted a dinner invitation from local businessman Mike Baldwin . Ken found himself edged out as Deirdre continued to see Mike. Jealous, Ken proposed to Deirdre as a knee-jerk reaction to get her away from Mike, but Deirdre turned him down as he was too unreliable. On the rebound, Ken asked out beautician Sonia Price and she accompanied him to Mike's flatwarming party.

The night turned out best for all concerned as Mike took an interest in Sonia and took her to a nightclub after the party. Feeling taken for granted, Deirdre finished with Mike and once again ended up with Ken. After a trip to Glasgow together, Ken proposed to Deirdre and she accepted. Though they found a house, they decided to live at No.1 instead as Albert took the news that Ken would be moving out very badly. Ken and Deirdre got married at All Saints Church on 27th July and went on a honeymoon in Corfu . In 1982 , Ken was consulted by the police regarding a spate of recent muggings in the area. Deirdre thought local youth Raymond Attwood was behind the muggings but Ken refused to contact the police without proof, as given his job it wouldn't reflect well on him if she was wrong. When Ken still refused to do anything after Betty Turpin was mugged, Deirdre went behind his back and phoned the police herself. Attwood turned out to be the mugger, but Ken felt betrayed by Deirdre, who was adamant she had done the right thing.

1982-1987: Mike Baldwin and the Barlow woman Edit As the marriage wore on, Deirdre was getting bored by the lack of excitement in her and Ken's relationship. She queried Ken over the issue of having another child, and after some deliberation he decided he was open to the idea. Ken and Deirdre row after Deirdre's affair with Mike Baldwin Annoyed by Ken's apparent lack of interest in her, Deirdre found a confidante in Mike Baldwin, who did his best to lure her away from Ken. They soon started a love affair, although Deirdre deceived Ken by telling him she was seeing a friend. Deirdre enjoyed the uncertainty of a relationship with Mike compared to the safe, steady one she had with Ken. Oblivious to his wife's adultery, Ken at the time was worried about a Social Services job he had applied for. When he didn't get it, he learned it was because the committee thought that he didn't have enough drive. Deirdre despaired as Ken sulked about it - she told him he was too boring and admitted to her affair.

As they rowed about it, Ken refused to let Deirdre blame him, telling her nothing could excuse what she did. He told her to move out but she was able to change his mind by showing that she was committed to him rather than Mike. Deirdre suggested she and Ken move. They were ready to buy a house at Buxton Close but Albert convinced them to buy No.1 Coronation Street instead on the condition they stayed together. The sale was opposed by Albert's daughter Beattie Pearson , who thought Ken was stealing her inheritance, but Ken reminded her that he had done a lot more to take care of Albert over the years than she had. In May , Ken was persuaded by Pamela Mitchell , journalist from the Weatherfield Recorder newspaper, to write an article about road safety in the local area, but he wasn't happy as Pam edited his words before publishing the article. However he still allowed himself to be talked into taking on an agony column for the Recorder despite it not being his area of expertise. Ken developed a good working relationship with Pam and gave her a confidential report from the Town Hall proving that figures showing the Youth Clubs weren't being used were fabricated.

He was pleased to see the chaos it caused the Council and readily admitted to being the mole. He expected to lose his job but was offered a new contract which stipulated that he wouldn't leak any more information. Ken refused, telling his boss Peter Bromley that his job was to serve the community, not hide things from them. Ken was sacked. When Pam left the Recorder to move to Nottingham , Ken applied for her job. The newspaper's owner Bob Statham asked if he wanted to buy a 33% share in the company instead. Ken agreed, and paid for it using his redundancy money and all of his and Deirdre's savings. Ken soon realised his new job wasn't what he had hoped. He seized the opportunity to write a damning article about Mike's Graffiti Club , but since the Recorder was a free newspaper and the Graffiti was a major advertiser Statham intervened before Ken published the article and made him write a glowing report of the Club and praise Mike's public spirit. When the Recorder was printed, Mike took great pleasure in thanking Ken for the endorsement. In 1984 Uncle Albert died, aged 88. That same year, Billy Walker returned to the area and started seeing Ken's secretary Sally Waterman .

He spread rumours that Ken was having an affair with Sally, although they had only kissed. Deirdre confronted Ken about the accusation and he admitted to the kiss but not an affair. In 1985 , Susan moved back to Weatherfield, interested in taking a job at the Recorder. When she arrived she became friendly with none other than Mike Baldwin, and spent New Year with him in London. To warn Susan off Mike, Ken told her about his affair with Deirdre, but Ken's interference only made Susan move out of No.1 and into Mike's flat. When Ken heard that Mike was allowing Susan to live with him, he marched over to Mike's factory Baldwin's Casuals and hit him to the floor. Ken relents and gives daughter Susan away To Ken's dismay, Susan and Mike were engaged within a short time. Ken told Susan he wasn't going to attend her wedding, but that only made everyone turn against him so he pretended to have a change of heart and threw Susan and Peter an expensive joint 21st birthday party, giving him an excuse to suggest Susan and Mike postpone the wedding as he now wouldn't be able to afford it for a while.

He also invited Susan's friends from Glasgow and Newcastle to make Mike look out of place due to his age, but Mike won Susan over by buying her a car and offering to pay for the wedding himself. At the last minute Ken decided to give Susan away at the wedding. After the wedding, Ken forced himself to put up with Mike for Susan's sake. In 1987 , Ken wrote an article criticising the independent Councillors. The local labour party asked Ken to stand in the elections. Ken agreed though this meant he was against neighbour (and Deirdre's employer) Alf Roberts . Ken and Alf enjoyed a rivalry, with Ken slamming Alf in the Recorder, but the conflict of interest caused the newspaper owner to ask Ken to either withdraw from the election or lose his job. Ken was delighted when Deirdre stood as an independent in the election in his place and beat Alf. Later that year, Ken supported Susan when she split up with Mike. Susan had got pregnant but when she told Mike she had had an abortion he finished with her. Susan moved back to Newcastle.

1988-1992: End of the road for Ken and Deirdre Edit In 1988 Statham told Ken he was going to sell the Recorder and although Ken was able to meet the price Statham asked for his share, the Clarion Group put in a higher offer and he sold to them instead. The new arrangement was a disaster as Clarion Group owner Nick Cavanagh was heavily in debt and had borrowed in the newspaper's name. However since he hadn't paid Statham for his share of the paper so he never legally owned any part of it. Statham agreed to sell to Ken for £20,000. When the Weatherfield Gazette started a free sheet, Ken started printing in the Recorder details of Council business Deirdre had told him. Deirdre refused to be a mole, but Ken found another source in Wendy Crozier , who worked for the Council. Deirdre rowed with Ken as the Council assumed she was behind the leaks, but when she walked out on a Council meeting Ken was able to clear her name by printing information she didn't know. Ken promised not to print any more information based on Wendy's insider knowledge.

When Ken broke his promise after only a few weeks, Deirdre told her boss that Wendy was the mole. Wendy was sacked, but Ken offered her a job at the Recorder. Edit In 1997 , Ken asked Deirdre to move in with him but she refused. At the time Ken was fighting against redundancy at Weatherfield Comprehensive but Sue assured him his job was safe. Ken ended up in bed with Sue just as Deirdre called at No.1 to apologise for an argument with Ken. Both Sue and Deirdre were angry with Ken for not being honest with them. Deirdre decided just to remain friends with Ken, so he continued to see Sue although they kept their relationship a secret because other staff members had been made redundant while Ken only kept his job because Sue fancied him. Ken was angry when Sue admitted her bias but when their affair was discovered Sue took all the blame and resigned from her job. Ken was absolved of any responsibility - but he was made redundant anyway because of further cutbacks. Frustrated at his situation Ken took his anger out on Daniel; although he soon regretted his behaviour, Daniel didn't want to see him anymore.

In late 1997, Ken became concerned about Deirdre's relationship with Jon Lindsay - Jon had told Deirdre he was an airline pilot when in fact he only ran a tie shop in the airport. When Deirdre stayed with Jon, and asked Ken to keep up the charade that Jon was a pilot, Ken warned her that Jon was a fake and not to be trusted. Ken has a miserable time working for Golden Years Agency Short of cash, Ken agreed to work for Alec Gilroy 's agency, which offered companionship for clients. He quit when he was nearly assaulted by a jealous husband at a book launch. His last job saw client Babs Fanshawe die halfway through their meal, and his role in the evening picked up on by the press. By 1998 , Deirdre's relationship with Jon had ended but Deirdre was arrested after being duped by Jon into committing fraud. The case went to court, with Jon claiming that Deirdre was the driving force behind the scheme and she had manipulated him. Mike arranged for Deirdre to leave the country before the trial but Ken convinced her to stay and face the trial.

However when under oath Ken testified that Deirdre had asked him to lie about Jon's profession. Deirdre was found guilty on all counts, while Jon was let off with a suspended sentence. Putting his past differences with Mike aside, Ken and Mike secured Deirdre's release with the help of Mary Docherty , a former victim of Jon's. Ken was hoping to get back together with Deirdre, but she refused. Out of work, Ken found a temporary job at The Kabin . Deirdre's mother Blanche tried to matchmake between Ken and Deirdre in 1999 , and manipulated them into admitting they still had feelings for each other. When Tracy showed up after splitting up with Robert, Ken and Deirdre convinced them to reconcile. Ken was inspired and urged Deirdre to give their relationship one last chance. At last, Deirdre agreed and moved back in. 1999-2002: Barlow family reunited Edit Ken successfully applied for a supply teacher position at Weatherfield Comprehensive. The job became permanent when Ken reported Charlie Ramsden for drinking on the job and he had to take on her classes when Charlie was suspended.

Ken was exhausted by the work because of his age but accepted the position of Senior Pupil Mentor when it was offered. However one of his more disruptive pupils, Aidan Critchley , made it his mission to terrorise Ken into leaving. Aidan taunted Ken in class and vandalised his car, but to Deirdre's surprise, Ken was determined to deal with the situation without involving the headmaster or the police. To raise extra money, Ken took a job standing in for the Gazette's Agony Aunt. Ken dropped Ken's Column to take the new column on. Edit During the rest of the year, Ken and Deirdre were mainly occupied by the antics of their children, including Peter marrying two women without either of them knowing about it, and Tracy pretending to sleep with Roy Cropper after getting pregnant with Steve McDonald 's baby in order to sell her baby to Roy and Hayley Cropper . Peter's son (and Ken's grandson) Simon was born later in the year, but his mother Lucy Barlow was angry with Peter and left Weatherfield so he wouldn't have any contact with her or Simon. Peter moved to Portsmouth .

When Ken's third grandchild was born early in 2004 , Tracy decided to go back on her deal to give Amy to the Croppers . Ken persuaded Roy to do the right thing and give the baby to her mother, even though Tracy had behaved despicably. Again, it fell on Ken and Deirdre to keep the peace between Tracy and Steve's wife Karen McDonald . Ken and Deirdre marry for the second time In 2005 , Ken proposed to Deirdre again, but she said no when Ken insinuated he mainly wanted them to marry for financial reasons. Ken assured her this wasn't true so after another proposal she accepted. On the day of the wedding, Amy was involved in a road accident, so Ken and Deirdre abandoned their plans and met up with Tracy and Amy at the hospital, where they were shocked to discover the driver of the car was Ray Langton. Deirdre showed sympathy for Ray as he was dying of stomach cancer but Ken didn't see why they should welcome Ray given his 27-year absence from their lives. In the end, Ray wished the pair well, and Ken got married to Deirdre.

However, Ray died at the Rovers during the reception from his cancer. Ray had built up a relationship with his biological daughter, Tracy, on his return to Weatherfield, which had made Ken feel excluded as he had actually raised Tracy with Deirdre. Deirdre was upset by her ex's demise, and their wedding day had most certainly been overshadowed by heartache. 2005-2007: Retirement Edit In 2008 , Ken started working in Roy's Rolls with Becky Granger as cover for Roy when Roy left to visit Hayley in Africa . When Roy returned, Ken continued working there as he enjoyed it. Ken later took an interest in Roy's investigation of a bat colony at Tony Gordon 's Victoria Court building site, and helped Roy and Becky to stop Tony's plan to carry on the building work whilst bats, an endangered species, remained on the site. Ken was given food for thought when he was invited to a University reunion. He was unsure of going at first because he was embarrassed that he hadn't had a successful career. Remembering the dreams of his youth, Ken found his manuscript for the novel he started working on in 1961 and resumed work on it.

He became so engrossed in it that Deirdre started to think he wasn't satisfied with the life he had led - or with her. Ken realised that it was foolhardy to dwell on the chances he missed when he was a student and that he should concentrate on the here and now, so he burned his manuscript. Peter returned later in the year when his estranged wife Lucy died, having asked him to raise Simon, the son he hadn't been allowed to see for five years. Peter made it obvious that he didn't want a son and turned to drink, much to Ken's dismay. Ken was forced to intervene and take Simon away when a drunk Peter made a scene at Simon's school nativity play. Peter admitted to Ken he couldn't cope with fatherhood but Ken persuaded Peter to try harder and stay sober. Ken briefly considers embarking on a new life with Martha Fraser In January 2009 , Ken met Martha Fraser , an actress starring in a local production of A Streetcar Named Desire . Ken found he had a lot in common with her and befriended her, frequently visiting Martha at her barge at Weatherfield Canal under the pretence of walking the Barlows' dog Eccles .

Ken greatly enjoyed his time with Martha, finding they had a lot in common, and became increasingly dissatisfied with his home life. He was reluctant to admit to Martha that he was married, out of fear that it would ruin any chance of a relationship, but later did so anyway out of guilt for spending more time with Martha than his own family when Peter and Simon nearly died in a fire. Martha immediately told Ken to leave. Despite trying to spend more time with his family, Ken found his dissatisfaction remained, and he eventually sought out Martha, who he convinced to forgive him. Martha told Ken that she was leaving Weatherfield, but that she wanted him to go with her. Convinced this was his last chance for happiness, Ken put affairs in order and left, leaving Deirdre a note explaining his decision. However, after further consideration he made a last minute decision to stay. Deirdre found out when Ken showed her the letter he had written, but despite being angry she quickly forgave him, unwilling to start over at her time of life. Her forgiveness was offered on condition that the incident was never mentioned again, and things quickly returned to normal.

2009-2013: Recent years and departure from Weatherfield Edit In late 2009, Peter wanted to set up a wine bar in Viaduct Street with girlfriend Leanne Battersby , but Ken was against it, as Peter was a recovering alcoholic. Things weren't helped with the arrival of Simon's other grandfather, George Wilson , who Ken didn't trust, believing that he had been trying to buy Simon's affection with expensive gifts. Ken resorted to drastic measures to stop the bar from opening, getting a journalist to investigate it and also selling the story of the Barlow family's chequered history, to the indignation of Peter and Deirdre. After feuding over the bar for a number of months, Ken and Peter finally settled their differences for Simon's sake in January 2010 . However, Ken and his family were left reeling when Peter destroyed the grand opening of The Joinery when he started drinking again. After Peter realised that he needed help with his problem, Ken, George and Leanne agreed that he should spend sometime in rehab so that he could sort out his addiction.

Relations between Ken and Deirdre became strained once again when Ken found out that Deirdre had shared a kiss with Audrey Roberts ' boyfriend Lewis Archer . With Ken's tryst with Martha still fresh in Deirdre's mind, the couple acknowledged their mutual unhappiness with their marriage but remained together. Ken meets his long-lost son Lawrence for the first time In August 2010 , Norris Cole discovered an unopened letter behind the skirting board at No.3, addressed to Ken, dating back to 1961 . The letter was written by Ken's first girlfriend Susan Cunningham . After some investigating, Ken found that Susan had died but had a son called Lawrence , an English lecturer who, on meeting Ken, was quickly determined to be Ken's son. Wanting to get to know his new-found family members, Ken invited Lawrence's son James to the Rovers . It was clear that animosity lay between father and son as Lawrence and James bickered in front of Ken. He was stunned to discover that James was gay and Lawrence was not supportive of his sexuality.

In November , Ken discovered that Leanne was having an affair behind Peter's back with her ex-husband and employer Nick Tilsley , when he walked in on them at The Joinery. Leanne begged Ken and Deirdre to give her another chance as she has ended her affair with Nick, and Ken agreed after thinking about it. However on the night of 6th December during Peter's stag night at The Joinery, Nick intended on telling him. When Ken and Leanne made their way to the bar to stop Nick, the bar exploded due to a gas leak, leading to a tram derailing from the viaduct and crashing into Coronation Street. Ken could do nothing but look on until emergency services got Nick and Peter out who were trapped (Peter's friend Ashley Peacock died managing to help them escape). Peter, thinking he was going to die, requested the wedding to take place at Weatherfield General with Leanne at his bedside. He later went into critical condition and then a coma, but woke up and recovered, but still had issues with his walking. Ken offered for him, Leanne and Simon to move into No.1 so they could help to look after him.

On 24th December , Ken's daughter Tracy was released from Redford Prison due to accusations of false evidence by the forensics and was due for a retrial. She interrupted during a memorial service in the street as remembrance to those who died in the tram crash. However, Tracy soon began causing trouble for the residents, which lead her to being attacked in her own back yard by Claire Peacock . Early into the New Year, Claire fled Weatherfield and started a new life in France with boys Joshua and Freddie . During Peter and Leanne's vow renewal ceremony, Peter revealed to everyone about Leanne and Nick's affair. Furious that Ken and Deirdre knew the truth, Peter wanted Leanne out of his life. Ken however managed to persuade Peter to give her another chance and to talk it through. Peter managed to catch Leanne before she boarded a train to London . Ken is left unconscious after being attacked by a crooked James. In April 2011 , Ken's grandson James returned and revealed that he was working for Roof & Refuge - a charity supporting homeless people.

Ken happily agreed for him to move in, until he found out that James had been instrumental in conning Kevin Webster to the tune of £20,000 and had also applied to borrow £50,000 against No.1 - using his grandfather's name. When Ken took James to task over this, James mocked Ken and suggested that he hadn't done anything with his life. James showed no remorse for his actions and admitted he would con again, and Ken decided to phone the police. James attempted to stop him, and ended up banging Ken's head on the wall knocking him out. James left the Street and although Ken didn't want to report him, Kevin instead contacted the police. In April 2013 , Ken disapproved of Tracy's partner Rob Donovan and shared his concerns with Peter, stating that Rob reminded him of Mike Baldwin because of his cocky nature. In July , Ken flew out to Canada to be with Adam who suffered a shock collapse at work, spending almost a year there and, in December 2013 , missing Peter's wedding to Carla Connor . 2014-: Back Home Again Edit Ken returns to Coronation Street.

Ken returned to Weatherfield in August 2014 , angry to discover that during his absence Peter had been arrested and locked up for the murder of Tina McIntyre without him being told. Ken went to visit Peter and assured him that he knew he was innocent and would help him fight the case. The subsequent trial proved too much for Deirdre's stress levels and she went to stay with her friend Bev Unwin while at the trial Peter was found guilty. Events took an unexpected turn however when Carla deduced that her own brother Rob was guilty and reported him to the police. Peter was set free and Rob imprisoned at his own trial, leaving Ken to comfort Tracy who had expected a life of happiness with Rob and had now lost her intended husband and leaving Barlow's Buys , the cash converters shop they had opened together in financial difficulties. Ken and Tracy excitedly awaited the return of Deirdre on 8th July 2015 - the day of her 60th birthday - but Bev returned alone and told them that Deirdre had passed away that morning. The news that she had died peacefully brought some comfort to Ken, however he broke down outside and was consoled by Steve.

Liz McDonald broke the news in the Rovers, and a few days later Ken was told that Deirdre died from a brain aneurysm. Deirdre's funeral was held on 13th July . Just mere months after his wife's death, Ken began to date Nessa Warner , the sister of Cathy Matthews . As soon as Tracy found out about the pair she immediately disapproved. Ken would later break off his relationship with Nessa. 2016 : Ken in hospital having suffered a stroke. In October 2016 Ken planned to go on a trip around Europe, much to Tracy's (again) disapproval. He was shocked when his son Peter made an unexpected return. After the pair had another argument, Ken was about to go and depart in his taxi before collapsing in the hallway and suffering from a stroke. Although he survived, he was left with the inability to speak or move, and was hospitalised at Weatherfield General . Peter was blamed by Tracy for causing the stroke and wanted him to go, however Ken mustered up enough energy to make clear to Peter he wanted him to remain. Personality Edit "Boring. It's the 'in' word isn't it?

Anything isn't with it, swinging or trendy it's boring. I'm boring! And there's nothing I can do about it because the great tragedy is that I'm not aware of it. I happen to think that I'm a great guy." Ken is an educated man but he has not made as a great a success of his life as he hoped, which is a source of constant frustration for him. During his University years he remained friendly with his neighbours while casually putting them and Coronation Street down when in the company of his peers, confident that he would eventually leave the Street. Over the years Ken has had several chances to leave Weatherfield to further his career, but he has always found a reason to stay. In the 1960s and 1970s he wore his education like a badge of honour in front of his neighbours, never flaunting it but distancing himself from them enough to remain an outsider. Ken prides himself in his integrity and morals. He and his family have occasionally suffered because of his insistence on doing the right thing, although in recent years he has been more considerate of his family's wishes.

On several occasions Ken has sometimes said one thing and done another, tending to put his morals aside on a whim or if he felt passionate about something. Although Ken can be stubborn in his adherence to his moral code, he is just as stubborn when he breaks his morals, as when he is determined to do something nobody can talk him out of it. When Ken changes his mind about something it is usually only because somebody has forced his hand. A fairly quiet man, Ken enjoys a stable life, and generally isn't very spontaneous, only being so when he feels it is expected of him or that it will benefit him in some way. He has tried not to let marriage or children change his lifestyle, although he has mellowed somewhat after years of leading his life by what's most convenient for him led to solitude and depression. In recent years, Ken is more able to recognise the mistakes of his past, though he rarely learns from them. Relationships Tea at the Barlow abode, 1960 Ken has had difficult relationships with virtually all members of his family. Ken's father Frank Barlow was a postman.

Although Frank was generally supportive of Ken's attempts to forge his own path in life, they sometimes struggled to find common ground and when their opinions differed both were usually convinced they were right. Over time this drove a wedge between them. In 1963 , their relationship suffered when Frank started dating Christine Hardman , an old school friend of Ken's who was much younger than Frank. Ken refused to speak to Frank when Frank proposed very soon into the relationship, and even warned Christine that she was making a mistake. When Frank won £5,000 on Premium Bonds in 1964 , he moved to a detached house in Cheshire , after which he and Ken barely saw each other before Frank's death in the early 1970s. Ken's mother Ida Barlow was understanding of Ken and usually mediated between Ken and Frank when they had had an argument. As a result she and Ken had a close relationship. Ida died in 1961 . Perhaps the family member Ken got on with best was his younger brother David . After leaving school, David spent a few years in London to pursue his football career.

In 1965 , David returned to Weatherfield, married Irma Ogden , and bought the Corner Shop . Ken didn't like the thought of his brother marrying into the Ogden family , as he considered them common, but he put aside his views so that his relationship with his brother wouldn't suffer. Ken and David were both bright, politically minded and both of them had little in common with their wives, and their similarities paved the way for a healthy, amicable sibling relationship. David died in a car crash in Australia in 1970 . Children Edit By 1975 , Ken had lost his parents, wife and brother. His only surviving immediate family were his two children Peter and Susan . Following Val's death in 1971 and the twins' move to Glasgow , where they were cared for by Edith Tatlock , Ken had only a minimal role in their upbringing and both of them turned out nothing like him, although he was prepared to have them move back to Weatherfield if and when he ever re-married. As a result of his limited part in raising them, Peter and Susan resented his efforts to interfere with their lives whenever they visited. They saw no reason to listen to his advice or accept his help.

Ken's first confrontation with Susan was in 1981 when Mike Baldwin got her a barmaid job in London , and Susan refused to quit as Ken wanted. Susan crossed paths with Mike again in 1985 and they dated, despite the age difference and Ken's objection. Ken only agreed to go to the eventual wedding as the alternative was losing Susan to Mike forever. As Ken hated Mike, he never accepted him as part of the family for Susan's sake, and was always on the lookout for trouble between them so he could step in and protect Susan. Most of the time, however, he kept his distance, unwilling to risk alienating Susan. In 2001 , a road accident claimed the life of yet another Barlow, this time Susan. Ken fought to stop Mike from seeing his and Susan's son Adam , ostensibly to follow Susan's wishes, but Ken's feelings towards Mike undeniably had a part in it also. Ken was keen for Peter to get a good education and attend University. The first sign of trouble came in 1975 , when Peter visited Ken in Weatherfield to avoid going to school.

When Peter achieved disappointing grades for his 'O' levels, Ken was adamant that Peter would sit the exams again, but this time in Weatherfield so that Ken could supervise him closer. To Ken's surprise, Peter applied to join the Navy without telling him, and left for training after passing his exams. Ken decided to let Peter lead his own life and it wasn't until Peter left the Navy in 2000 that Peter was a regular part of Ken's life again, by which time Peter was 35 and had grown into a man who was nothing like his father. In 2008 and 2009 , Ken clashed with Peter over Peter's son Simon , his concern initially borne out of Peter's alcoholism but later from Simon's other granddad George Wilson showing up out of the blue to get to know Peter and Simon. Ken felt threatened by the affluent George who spoiled Simon and invested in a wine bar Peter and Leanne Battersby wanted to open. Ken objected on the grounds that owning a bar might tempt Peter to drink, and even tried to rally the community against the wine bar (unsuccessfully). Again, his stubbornness alienated him from his family, so Ken decided to give his blessing to the bar plan.

His fears were borne out however when Peter got drunk at a party, leading to George and his wife Eve taking Simon to stay with them while Peter recovered in rehab, which again was paid for by George. Ken put aside his concerns about George to support Peter. Later in 2010 , with Peter and Leanne's wedding preparations in their final phase, Ken discovered that Leanne was having an affair with her ex-husband Nick Tilsley and agonized over whether to tell Peter. Eventually he believed Leanne's sincerity when she insisted that the affair was over and that she deeply regretted it. The following weeks were difficult for Peter as he was crippled in a gas explosion at The Joinery bar and came to live with the Barlows while he regained the use of his legs. Ken was worried not only about Peter's mental and physical recovery but the unresolved matter of Nick and Leanne - Peter had befriended Nick when Nick pulled him out of the Joinery, although he didn't interfere. Ken's youngest child is Daniel Osbourne . Although Ken fought to see Daniel after he was born, Daniel was taken out of his life in 1996 when Denise Osbourne decided that she wanted to raise him without Ken.

When Ken went to see Denise and Daniel in 2007 , Daniel was a virtual stranger to him and resented his presence. Valerie Barlow Edit Ken and Valerie Tatlock met just after Ken's graduation from University. Valerie had some misgivings about dating Ken - she assumed being University educated he wouldn't have a lot in common with her, and after Ken's mother Ida's death Valerie was worried that Ken was looking for a replacement mother figure. However Ken persuaded Valerie to give him a chance and they married anyway. During the marriage, Valerie was responsible for the household chores, including all cooking and cleaning. Ken's job took up a lot of his time and attention, with Ken adopting his teacher persona even at home, frequently using Valerie as a sounding board for his opinions on community and politics. Valerie once commented that Ken talked to her as if she was one of his pupils. Ken enjoyed seeing his colleagues outside work and brought Valerie along to his friends houses even though she didn't enjoy it. Even when Valerie was sexually insulted by a friend of Ken's, Ken expected Valerie to shrug it off.

Occasionally their lack of common ground caused Ken to neglect Valerie, and his behaviour sometimes distressed her enough to want to leave him, but whenever this happened Ken realised his mistakes and fought to keep his wife. Deirdre Barlow Edit Ken and Deirdre Langton lived in the same street for several years before they started dating. The age difference between the pair - Ken was 15 years older than Deirdre - initially made them an unlikely pair to marry but as with Valerie Ken fell for Deirdre enough that any differences between them didn't matter. During the marriage, these issues became much more of an issue. Deirdre was hesitant to slip in to the role Valerie had occupied during Ken's first marriage, and as this was Ken's third marriage the excitement of the new relationship got old faster for him than for Deirdre, who within two years of the wedding was becoming bored as Ken wasn't showing any interest in her. Deirdre told Ken she felt like a part of the wallpaper rather than his wife. Deirdre's affair with Mike tested the marriage but they came out stronger and more devoted to each other, with Ken adopting Deirdre's daughter Tracy. Their second marriage has been no less fraught with difficulties than the first.

Since 2005 , Ken and Deirdre have been caught up in the problems of Deirdre's daughter Tracy as well as Peter and Simon, and Ken's stubbornness usually creates more problems than it solves. For the first four and a half years of their marriage, Deirdre's mother Blanche Hunt lived with them at No.1. A frequent third wheel in Ken and Deirdre's relationship, Blanche rarely interfered but was never slow to criticise, with many of her putdowns at Ken's expense. Despite the conflict, Ken was clearly saddened by her death in 2010. Both of Ken and Deirdre's marriages have been strained because of Ken's dissatisfaction with his life; Deirdre knew Ken well enough to know he is full of regrets and his occasional attempts to rectify the mistakes of his past have caused problems as Ken left Deirdre with the impression that his life with her has been disappointing. Ken has been led astray as by overanalysing his life he tends to see problems that aren't there and go out of his way to solve them. It tended to be him coping without Deirdre that Ken realised what she meant to him.

Deirdre died in July 2015 after a brain aneurysm whilst staying with good friend Bev Unwin. Mike Baldwin Edit Ken and Mike brawl in the Rovers Mike Baldwin moved to Weatherfield in 1976 to open his denim factory, Baldwin's Casuals . Ken didn't agree with Mike's materialistic outlook on life although it wasn't until Deirdre's affair with Mike in 1983 that they developed an eternal dislike of each other. In most of their disputes, Ken believed himself to be fighting the just and moral cause against the money-driven Mike, and Ken resented the fact that part of what attracted Deirdre to Mike was that she found his unpredictability exciting, and that Ken was boring in comparison. One of Ken and Mike's earliest run-ins concerned an attempt by Ken to oppose Mike opening a disco in Rosamund Street . The disco was passed by the Council despite the residents protesting the plan. Ken was further embittered when his daughter Susan took up with Mike and married him, as it meant he had to tolerate Mike for Susan's sake.

After Mike and Susan split up, Ken printed a story in his free newspaper the Weatherfield Recorder accusing Mike of running a sweatshop , which enraged Mike who decided to sue Ken. Mike only dropped the lawsuit when Deirdre asked him to, although that represented a defeat to Ken as he assumed Deirdre had flirted with Mike to win him round. For years, Ken and Mike were at loggerheads, including when Ken dated Maggie Redman and Alma Sedgewick , both exes of Mike and both of whom ended their relationship with Ken's obsession with Mike interfered with the relationship. However despite no longer being with Ken after 1990 Deirdre never took up with Mike, and eventually reconciled with Ken. Even in hard times, Ken and Mike never passed up an opportunity to get one over on each other; when Mike paid Deirdre's legal fees during her 1998 court case, he later asked Ken to pay him back the money when Deirdre moved back in with Ken upon her release from prison. In 2000 , Ken and Mike were among the hostages taken during a siege at Freshco supermarket.

When they were tied up next to each other, they spent their energy bickering, but when Mike had a heart attack they realised they were behaving childishly. Their feud was given a new lease of life when Mike fought for custody of his son Adam after Susan's death. Again they forced themselves to get along for Adam's benefit. When Mike fought Alzheimer's in 2006 , Ken was shocked at his rapid mental decline and was with Mike when he died from a heart attack outside his factory. Role in the community Edit Ken Barlow, community spokesperson Ken is the elder statesman of Coronation Street . His long history in the street and his jobs as schoolteacher and newspaper editor, as well as his position as Community Development Officer, have made him something of a figurehead. In his youth, Ken was slightly embarrassed at living in Coronation Street, and his neighbours expected him to graduate and move on to bigger and better things. Ken's article on the working class, printed in Survival magazine, didn't portray his neighbours in a favourable light, with Ken descrbing them as being politically ignorant and starved of real culture.

Ken experienced life in the street from the perspective of an outsider mixing with the natives, as even though he had grown up there his University life had broadened his horizons. It was through his teaching job at Bessie Street School that Ken served the community in the 1960s . During his career, Ken occasionally put himself on the line for pupils, including Michael Butterworth , who had found and returned Ena Sharples ' pension book which was found to have had a week's money cashed. In this case Ken was disappointed as Michael later turned out to be responsible for vandalising the vestry of the Glad Tidings Mission Hall , where Ena lived. Ken's ethics were called into question when Willie Piggott tried to persuade him to accept a £200 bribe to guarantee his son Brian passed his exams at Granston Technical College . Ken returned the money and told the police about Piggott, even though wife Valerie was against it. The case went to court and Piggott was fined £150. In 1967, Ken tutored John Potter , although he didn't think John would be able to pass his exams and tried to persuade his parents to find another tutor.

He was shocked when John left home, leaving a suicide note behind, but it turned out he had gone to work in a garage as a mechanic, against his parents' wishes. As Ken continued to live in Coronation Street, he found himself appreciating the history and sense of community, and he also found himself to be someone the neighbours turned to when they needed help, such as when Annie Walker and Len Fairclough both asked him to help them write their speeches when they were standing for the Council. In the late 1960s, Ken started taking a more active role in the community, putting his planning and organisation skills towards arranging a fancy dress party at the Mission Hall in 1966 , a film society in 1967 and a trip to Woburn Abbey in 1973 . Ken's position as Community Development Officer cemented his place in the community in 1975 . His jobs included helping to arrange the Coronation Street's Silver Jubilee party. He also fought for Ena Sharples 's caretaker job at the centre when the committee tried to retire her. From his initial position as Street outsider, Ken had now turned into its spokesperson.

Except when personal problems called his suitability for the job into question, Ken did his best to put the interests of the community first, and was even willing to take on the Council when he believed they were in the wrong, both when he worked at the Community Centre and when he edited the Recorder. In 1976 , ex-convict Eddie Yeats helped Ken out at the centre and started building a playground for the children, but when Eddie's criminal record caused the parents to complain, Ken refused to sack Eddie although he quit anyway. In later years, with Ken having long relinquished his job at the centre, he is still usually heavily involved in any issue regarding the community. In 2001 , Ken gave a talk for the Weatherfield Historical Society ; he was a good choice because of his experience writing his novel Weatherfield Yesterday . Although he has retired he is usually willing to help out any neighbours who need private tutoring, including David Platt , Toyah Battersby , Tyrone Dobbs and Janice Battersby . Hobbies and interests Edit Ken's interests include literature, theatre, history and music, but writing has always been his main passion and most of his jobs have been in some way connected with writing.

He has authored a book called Weatherfield Yesterday , documenting the history of Weatherfield , while his attempts at writing have been largely based on his own life experiences. On the acting front, Ken occasionally took part in the amateur plays performed at the Glad Tidings Mission Hall and Coronation Street Community Centre in the 1960s and early 1970s , playing Gerald, the Duke of Bannock in Lady Lawson Loses and Algernon in The Importance of Being Earnest . Ken can play the trumpet, but he never thought he was any good. Lists He was Dennis Tanner 's best man in 2012 when Dennis married Rita Sullivan . Upon his return from Canada in 2014, Ken announced that he had become a vegetarian. Background information Edit Ken entered the storyline as a young radical, the elder of two brothers, epitomising the youth of 1960s Britain. Although the rest of the original family (mother Ida , father Frank , brother David ) died or moved by the end of the decade, Ken Barlow has remained the constant link throughout the history of Coronation Street .

In 1964 , Ken, along with father Frank, wife Valerie , and Uncle Albert Tatlock , was slated to be written off. Frank left, but Ken, Val, and Albert were spared as the producer, Tim Aspinall , departed before their exits and new producer H.V. Kershaw opted to keep them in the programme. The press state that the character of Ken has a reputation amongst some viewers to be boring. In 2007, Virgin Media made an article on the history of the soap opera which stated, "Perhaps unfairly dubbed boring, Ken is ultimately an intelligent man, frustrated by the cards life has dealt him – although the hair, clothes and strong morals haven’t helped." [1] He is the Street’s resident intellectual who’s never quite managed to break free from his roots. For some in the UK, the character 'Ken Barlow' remains a synonym for a boring man.

The British group Half Man Half Biscuit highlighted this point in their 2001 song Lark Descending, comparing the character from Coronation Street with a member of the US underground music scene with the lyric: "I could have been like Lou Barlow, but I'm more like Ken Barlow." [2] ITV publicity made a point about how many relationships and flings he has had with women when asked about his love life stating "This could take a while… Ken has had more girlfriends than most of the Street’s male residents put together." Along with his four wives, the character has had a total of 28 girlfriends. When interviewed for an edition of the series Coronation Street: Secrets , William Roache commented on the number of girlfriends Ken had accumulated, and remarked, "It's not that Ken is a Lothario; he's just not good at holding on to women!" For his portrayal of Ken, William Roache won the Lifetime Achievement award at the British Soap Awards in 1999 . In 2005 Grace Dent of The Guardian published an article about how the Coronation Street archetypes shaped characters from other soap operas that would appear later.

On the character of Ken she stated: "The heavily plagiarised Corrie stalwart is Ken Barlow, who as "resident intellectual" has been looking down his noise at the proletariat since 1960. Just like poor hangdog-faced Ken, brainy people in soapland (Dr Truman, Roy Cropper , Todd Grimshaw , Emmerdale's Ethan the curate) are always miserable and brooding, due to the terrible burden of their mighty intellect in the face of so many simpletons. It rarely pays to be too clever or too rich in soapland as the majority of plotlines rely upon tragic Shakespearian falls from grace which everyone laughs their socks off at." [3] Ken Barlow's storyline gripped the whole stadium of Old Trafford in 1983 when the cumulation of the Ken, Deirdre and Mike storyline was flashed on the scoreboard. [4] The storyline also made national news at the time. [5] Until 1972, Ken was credited as "Kenneth Barlow".

Ken was absent from April 2013 to August 2014 as he was put on hiatus when alleged offences including sex abuse charges dating back to the 1960s were made against William Roache . After a trial, the actor was found not guilty on 6th February 2014 , and Bill returned to filming in June that year. When Ken returned in August 2014 he once again became the only remaining original character for the first time since 1984 , as Dennis Tanner had departed from the programme five days earlier. See also Ken: No. No thank you. (First line - to his mother Ida Barlow who asked if he wanted sauce). --- Ken: Just think of it. For fifty weeks of the year (the working class) work to save up for this, a fortnight in Blackpool . Chip shops, stink of onions, lights, some imbecile slideshows, a dirty great concrete fairground and they're happy, or so they think. Valerie: Course they're happy Ken, they wouldn't come otherwise. Ken: No, they don't know better, they live in dumps like Coronation Street and they think this is paradise.

Valerie: What's wrong with it? Ken: Everything - overcrowded, overcharged. It's not right Val, people deserve better than this. Some people work hard, very hard, all the year round and this is what they get at the end of it. If only they could want a bit more. Valerie: Well it wouldn't do if everyone was alike, would it? Ken: That's just what they are in this place, like a lot of sheep. Valerie: Look Ken, you enjoy yourself going to the theatre and reading and all that, well other people are different, they enjoy this. Ken: You mean they think they do 'cause they don't know any better. --- Deirdre: We didn't know what you wanted so we got you a gift card. (to Simon Barlow ) Ken: Now you can buy yourself a book. Deirdre: And some awesome toys and a DVD! Ken: And a book! Deirdre: Yeah, give it a rest Ken! --- Ken: This place never changes. (First line during his 2014 return, and a possible injoke relating to the new set) --- Ken:"How could you. How could you...

NOT TELL ME!" (To wife Deirdre , shouting at her after Carla Connor had informed him that son Peter was remanded for murder and he had not been told before) --- Ken: "That'll be my taxi" (before planning to leave Weatherfield and has a stroke) Peter: "Dad… Dad… What's happened… It's alright it's alright" (witnessing his had collapsing into a stroke)

Question: What was the name of the school at which Ken Barlow was a teacher in the TV soap opera Coronation Street?
Answer: Weatherfield Comprehensive